New Delhi: Starlink, the satellite internet service developed by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, has pushed back against reports that India has put its commercial launch on hold, saying it is in discussions with the government and expects to bring its services to the country soon.
Lauren Dreyer, Vice President of Business Operations at Starlink, posted on X Tuesday to contest what she described as a misleading Bloomberg report published a day earlier. “Starlink remains in active and productive discussions with the Government of India contrary to misleading stories based upon unsubstantiated claims from anonymous sources,” she wrote.
Bloomberg, citing people familiar with the matter who asked not to be identified, reported had on 9 June that Indian security agencies under the Ministry of Home Affairs had withheld the final clearances Starlink needs to launch. It said concerns had grown following reports that Starlink terminals were in use in the conflict in the Middle East, despite the service not being licensed in Iran. Officials are reportedly examining whether the company can ensure compliance with Indian security requirements when faced with competing demands from foreign governments.
Dreyer did not address those specific concerns, but said the company had followed due process. “We have worked with the Government through all of the required regulatory and compliance processes in a transparent and responsible manner,” she wrote in her post.
To address sovereignty and oversight concerns, she said the company had built a deployment model tailored to India: “To align with India’s sovereign technology, regulatory and security requirements, Starlink has set up a bespoke deployment model for India that further demonstrates our commitment to working within India’s strategic framework.”
On the question of feedback from Indian officials, Dreyer said the signals had been consistent. “We have heard nothing but encouraging feedback on Starlink’s capabilities and its potential to advance India’s connectivity ambitions, especially in remote and underserved regions. We remain fully committed to India and to working with the Government to bring Starlink’s services very soon to the country.”
Starlink was granted a Unified License with authorisation for Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite service by India’s Department of Telecommunications in June 2025. That licence allowed the company to prepare for a rollout and sign commercial agreements, but did not amount to clearance for operations. The additional security clearance has since remained stuck, leaving the company’s India plans in limbo.
The company has established infrastructure within India, including around 10 gateways and a hub in Mumbai. Senior SpaceX executives have also met government officials and ministers periodically in an effort to move the approval process forward.
India has implemented requirements for satellite communications that include legal interception capabilities. Service providers are barred from linking customer data or services to infrastructure outside the country. Companies must also indigenise at least 20 percent of their ground infrastructure within a few years of launching operations. Indian officials have sought additional compliance measures and raised further questions about how the company would ensure adherence to India’s security requirements, given SpaceX’s global operations and US ownership.
The pricing proposal for satellite spectrum, which is also required before commercial services can begin, has been stalled as well.
The dispute comes at a moment of pressure for SpaceX. The company is targeting a Nasdaq debut on 12 June, 2026 under the ticker SPCX, with final pricing expected after the close on 11 June. SpaceX is targeting an IPO price of $135 per share for an offering of 556.6 million shares, targeting a $75 billion raise at a $1.75 trillion valuation—which would be the largest IPO in stock market history.
Starlink generated $11.4 billion in revenue in 2025, accounting for about 61 percent of SpaceX’s total revenue during the year. India, one of the world’s largest broadband markets, would represent material potential for that revenue base.
Starlink has partnerships with Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel to distribute its services once it receives clearance. A timeline for when final approvals may come through remains unclear.
(Edited by Archishman Ganguly)